Mardi Gras season was ushered in with beans, jeans and music on Saturday.

The annual Beans and Jeans celebration, put on by the Krewe of Krewes and Mardi Gras Southeast Texas, brought more than a 1,000 fun loving fans to the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center for a night of revelry.

Friends Joey and Linda Hebert and Sharon Schleiffer walked about meeting old friends and enjoying the evening.

“It’s a good crowd,” Linda Hebert said. “Everybody’s having fun and it’s good to see each other.”

Members of the Red Hussars Alumni Association were on hand to man the doors, sell tickets and T-shirts.

“We love serving the community,” Christel Chamberlain, Thomas Jefferson High School class of 1978 said.

The Red Hussars march during the Saturday parade during Mardi Gras Southeast Texas celebration.

Members of Krewe de Bon Appetit once again wowed the crowd while impersonating famous entertainers and delivering trays of goodies. Andrew Holler and Jessie Garcia, also know as the Blues Brothers, were joined by “chef” Richard Schleiffer, Rickey Hollier, also known as Mick Jagger, Adam Hollier as Michael Jackson and Kelsey Bolch as Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

Also during the event newly retired Port Arthur Police Chief Mark Blanton was presented with a plaque for his years of service to the city.

The evening concluded with the music of Electric Circus from Austin.

E-mail: mary.meaux@panews.com

Twitter: MaryMeauxPANews